Railway brake beam



Jan. 20, 1942. I, PAETH 2,270,610

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed June 20, 1940 I .2 Sheets-Sheet l IRVI J. SPAETH' 9 BY @EZZIN G.BussE 1942- l. J. SPAETH ETAL 2,270,610

' RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed June 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. IRvaN J. SPAETH BY EDWIN G.BussE 3 ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Irvin J. Spaeth and Edwin G. Busse, Chicago, 11].,

assignors to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,414

18 Claims.

The invention relates to railway brake beams of the truss type which includes a compression member and a tension member with a strut between them intermediate their ends and with their ends converging towards each other and provided with tensioning means holding the ends in assembled relation, there being brake heads and shoes carried on the ends of the beam and through which braking forces are applied to the truck wheels.

Usually the brake heads form seats for the tensioning devices and when braking forces are applied to the beam, the assembled parts give relative to each other and the tension member is subjected to transverse bending actions which tend to shorten its useful life, particularly if there is not an accurate fit between the assembled parts whereby interengaging elements properly seat each other.

The main object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate the play between the parts.

Various constructions having the same general objective are disclosed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,094,034, 2,094,035, 2,094,036, 2,094,037 and 2,182,210, and in application for patent Ser. No. 272,927, filed May 10, 1939, by one of the present applicants.

Each of the above-mentioned previous structures requires special beam parts or involves the use of devices associated with standard beam parts but requiring disassembly and reassembly of the beam to include the device.

It is another object of the present invention to resist undue play between the beam parts, and resulting bending of the tension member adjacent the brake head, by a wedge device which may be inserted between the tension member and the compression member and retained in wedging position by elements outside of the brake head although the wedge may extend inwardly of the brake head.

It is another object to provide for the application of the wedge device to the brake beam tension and compression members after the same have been assembled and secured together by the tensioning device without requiring disassembly of these parts.

It is another object to provide a wedge structure of the class described which may be inserted in functioning position and retained without requiring any substantial work upon the beam tension and compression members.

These and other detailed objects of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are attained by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top View of a truss type brake beam embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale through one end of the beam.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 correspond to Figure 2 but each illustrates a different form of the invention.

Figures 5, 9, 11 and 13 are vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figures 4, 8, 10 and 12 respectively.

The brake beam includes the usual compression member I, which may be of channel section, a tension rod 2, a strut 3, brake heads 4 seated on the ends 5 of the compression member and providing outwardly facing seats 6 for the nuts 1 threaded onto the ends of the tension rod and by which the beam is held in assembled relation and the camber and initial tension of the beam is adjusted. If the inner face of the head outer wall l0 seats squarely against the outer end 5 of the compression member, and if the side of tension rod 2 bears against the seat ll thereof on the head inner wall, and if the nut I has a full bearing on the seat 6 on the brake head, then the beam parts will be substantially unitary, but, as indicated above, one or more of the interengagements may be defective thus detracting from the firm seating of the parts on each other and creating opportunity for undesirable play when braking forces are applied.

To resist such play, irrespective of whether or not the parts are properly fitted, there is provided a device, as detailed in Figures 2 and 3, comprising a V-shaped shoe member of resilient metal having one leg 15 arranged to fit against the inside face of beam compression member I and having its other leg I6 arranged to fit against the opposing face of beam tension member 2. Preferably the portion of leg I6 nearest the apex V is offset inwardly, as indicated at IT, so as toutilize the resiliency of the member throughout the length of its legs and to avoid undue pressure on the apex portion of the member where there Would be little opportunity for the elasticity of the member to function.

Legs l5 and 16 are shown as slotted to receive a block l8 of rubber or rubber-like material of suflicient density to provide effective, although yielding, thrust against the opposing faces of the beam compression and tension members. Flanges l9 near the outer ends of legs l5 and l6 serve to retain block 3 against movement outwardly of the V member and also provide bearings for a tapered key 20 inserted through aligned apertures in the brake beam compression member I and the legs I5 and I6.

As key is driven into place, it forces the V member and block l8 towards the end of the beam to exert greater thrusts transversely of the beam against the opposing tension and compression members. The inner end 2| of the key strikes the tension rod 2 and is bent as shown to prevent accidental removal of the key.

With the device in place as illustrated, play between the beam members I, 2, 4 and I is resisted and the useful life of the tension rod is increased.

Figures 4-and 5 illustrate a form of the invention in which the metal shoe member is eliminated and a rubber block is relied upon to provide the desired resistance to play between the beam compression member la and the tension rod 2a. Block 25 is shaped to fit the contour of the inner face of the channel section compression member and the contour of the round rod tension member. One or more bosses 26, preferably of metal or other relatively rigid material, are fused or bonded to the rear face of block 25 and are adapted to be received in corresponding recesses 21 in the beam compression member to prevent block 25 working out of its functioning position.

Figure 6 illustrates a form of the invention in which the rubber block is eliminated and a resilient metal member is relied upon to provide the necessary resistance to play between the beam compression and tension members. The member may include, in addition to the converging legs 3| and 32, an outer extension 33 on one of the legs, bent around and engaging the end portion of the other leg to offer additional resistance to the distortion. Leg 3| has a projection 34 received in an aperture 35 in the beam compression member to prevent the accidental removal of the device from the beam.

Figure 7 illustrates another form of the invention in which the rubber block is omitted and the resilient metal member is relied upon to provide the desired transverse thrust between the beam compression and tension members. The general arrangement is much the same as indicated in Figure 6 but the rod opposing parts and 4| of the device do not overlap each other but each contacts the rod and the rod has a lug 42 struck up or welded thereto to engage the outer transverse member 43 of the thrust applying device to prevent its withdrawal from functioning position.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate another form of the invention which combines a metal shoe and rubber elements 5| and 52. The shoe has a pair of jaws 53 substantially rigid in the plane of the beam but movable transversely of the plane of' the beam so that their outer portions and the rubber insertscarried thereby may be forced towards each other by bolt 54 to clamp the beam tension rod between the rubber-lined portions of the jaws. Rubber elements 51 and 52 provide a yielding and frictional engagement with the beam tension and compression members for the specified purpose.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate another form of the invention in which the wedge device is in the form of a solid casting of forging having angularly disposed sides GI and 62 arranged to slidably engage the beam compression member channel 63 and tension rod 64. A web 65 extends between elements 6| and 62. A projection 66 on side 6| is seated in an aperture therefor in the web of channel 63 and holds the wedge against movement from functioning position. With this arrangement it may be necessary to apply the wedge to the compression member at the same time that the other parts are being assembled.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate another form of the invention similar to that shown in Figures 10 and 11 but the wedge 10 is retained in functioning position by rivets H at each side of the bracing web 12. Both the wedge andrivets may be applied after the compression member 13 and tension rod 14, head 1 5 and nut 16 have been assembled. v

Each form of the invention, except possibly that shown in Figures 10 and 11, embodies a structure which may be applied to the beam readily either at the time the beam is constructed or after the beam has been put in service. The compression member apertures, when'used, may

be drilled and the movement resisting device hammered or otherwise forced into place without removing the beam from the truck.

The above detailed description and associated drawings are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not inclusive, as other forms of the invention will be suggested to those skilled in the art, once the general arrangement is understood, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truss type brake beam having acompression member, a tension' member and a tens'ioning device securing the adjacent ends of said members to each other, yielding means exerti-ng thrusts against said members transversely of their length to-resist play between said members due to application and release of the brakes.

2. In a railway truss type brake beam, compression and tension members, converging towards eachother near the end of the beam, tensioning means at the ends of said members, and a device insertable between opposing faces of said members to a position near said means in which itexerts yielding thrust against said members transversely of their length to resist play between said members due to application and release of the brakes. I Y

3. Ast'ructure as described'in claim 2 in which the device includes a non-metallic portion engaging one of the beam members;

4. A structure as described in claim 2 in which thedevice comprises a block of' rubber-like material distorted by its insertion between the beam members, there being means for holding the device against movement from its functioning position.

5. A structure as described in claim 2 which includes means positively retaining the device in functioning position. I

6. A structure as described in claim 2 in which the device and one of the beam members have cooperating elements interengaged by movement of the device towards the end of the beam to positively hold the device in functioning position.

7.;A structure as described in c1aim'2 in which the beam compression member and the device have aligned apertures andthe device includes a wedge-like element inserted through said apertures to force the device into functioning position.

8. A structure as described in claim 2 in'which the beam compression member and the device have aligned apertures and the device includes a tapered key inserted through said apertures to force the device into functioning position with its inner end bent by contact with the tension member to prevent its withdrawal.

9. A structure as described in claim 2 in which the compression member is recessed and the device has a projection extending into said recess to hold the device from movement out of functioning position.

10. A structure as described in claim 2 in which the device comprises a V-shaped resilient metal wedge with legs fitting against the beam compression and tension members respectively.

11. A structure as described in claim 2 in which the device comprises a V-shaped resilient metal wedge with legs fitting against the beam compression and tension members respectively, there being a key extending transversely through the beam compression member and wedge legs for holding the device in functioning position with its legs distorted.

12. A device for preventing play between the compression and tension members of a railway truss type brake beam comprising resilient structure constructed and arranged to be inserted between the beam compression and tension members and to yieldingly resist their movement towards each other when braking forces are apmembers transversely of the beam and comprising a wedge-shaped metal shoe and rubber structure in said shoe projecting from the sides thereof to contact at least one of the beam members.

15. A device for preventing play between the compression and tension members of a railway truss type brake beam comprising a wedgeshaped block of rubber-like material with its opposite sides shaped to fit the contours of the beam compression and tension members respectively, said block being adapted to be distorted when forced between said beam members and being provided with means for positively engaging one of said members to resist withdrawal therefrom.

16. In a railway truss type brake beam having a compression member, a tension member and a tensioning device securing the adjacent ends of said members to each other, a wedge member detachably secured between the assembled compression member and tension member to resist relative movement of the compression member and. the tension member transversely of the beam.

17. A brake beam as described in claim 16 in which the wedge member is slidable into the angle between the assembled compression member and tension member and a removable securing means holds the wedge member to one of the other members.

18. In a railway truss type brake beam assembly, compression and tension members, converging towards each other near the end of the beam, tensioning means at the ends of said members, and a device insertible between opposing faces of said members to a position near said means in which it resists play between said members due to application and release of the brakes, the assembly including yielding structure accommodating the insertion of the device into functioning position.

- IRVIN J SPAETH. EDWIN G. BUSSE. 

